Garment shaping and drying machine



w. c. GLOVER. JR GARMENT SHAPING AND DRYING MACHINE Sept. 17, 1940.

Filed April 10, 1939' 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR all/1% C lgver; J:

ATTOR'NEY Sept. 17, 1940. w. c. GLOVER. JR 7 2,214,923

' GARMENT SHAPING AND DRYING momma Filed ApriI 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

- INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 17, 194i) 4 Claims.

is selectively delivered directly into the garment simultaneously with ballooning thereof with heated air, therebyifacilitating removal of wrinkles and shaping of the garment.

L Other objects of the invention are to selectively admit either dry or moisture laden steam so as to obtain a steaming action best suited for the garment under. treatment; to provide for tempering relatively dry steam with a desired 15 degree of moisture; to provide for taking wet steam from the heated coil of the drier and effecting its induction into the garment; and to provide a steaming mechanism with controls that are readily manipulated by the operator.

20 In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter described, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

25 Fig. ,1 is a perspective view of a garment 'drier equipped with a steaming mechanism embodying the features of the present invention and showing garments applied thereon.

Fig.2 is a vertical section through the drier 30 on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the valve and its control lever for admitting steam directly into a garment.

, Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of. a ,35 portion of the drier, particularly illustrating the steaming mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modified form oi the invention utilizing water as a moisture tempering medium for the dry steam.

Fig. 6 is a iragmentary detail view, particularly' illustrating the injector nozzle whereby water is induced into the dry steam which is to be discharged into a garment.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

trated in the above mentioned application, and which includes a base section 2in th form of a housing having side walls 9--4 and and a top I. The top .I has a central opening 8 5o encircled by an inwardly directed flange 9. The lower portions of the side walls are provided with screen covered openings l0 through which air is drawn into the housing by a tan II and blown through a'radiator II for discharge from 55 the opening 8. l I v The radiator includes inletand outlet manifolds l9 and i4, located on "opposite sides of the openings 9 and connected by a plurality of tubes ll so that a heating medium, such as steam, is

so circulated therethrough to heat the air blast and which carry I designates a garment drier, such as illus-v I 2,214,923 v UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE GARMENT sun-me mpanue moms William C. Glover, Jr., Raytown, Mo., assignor to Cleaners Specialties, Inc, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application April 10, 1939, Serial No. 266,942

discharged by the fan, the tubes preferably being arranged in horizontal rows with the tubes in one row in staggered relation with the tubes in the other row so that the air is directed against'and across the sides 01 all of the respective tubes. The'tubes are provided with spaced iins It to increase the radiating capacity thereof and assure maximum heat exchange with the air. Steam is admitted to the intake manifold of the radiator through a pipe l'l that extends through the sidewall 6 and is'connected with a suitable source of steam supply, and spent steam, containing the condensate, is discharged from f the manifold M through apipe l8, also extending through the wall 6, as best shown in Fig. 2.

Supported above the housing is a garment carrier l9, including an elongated frame carrying a pair of air directing nozzles 29 and 2! which are alternately brought over the opening 8 in cooperating relation with the air directing flange 9, upon swinging, vertical movement of 2| are of substantially frust'ro-conicalform and have their base portions substantially conforming to the .oute'rdiameter oi the flange 9 so that they closely telescope thereover in forming a subthe carrier frame on a post 22 that is carried y a'bracket 29 attached to one corner of the ousing, as shown in Fig. 2. The nozzles 20 and between. The post 22 extends upwardly and carries a garment supporting bracket 25 having diverging arms 29 and terminating in registry with the extended axes of the respective nozzles, flexible garment suspendin members, such as'chains 28, into the links of which are hooked ordinary garment hangers 29.

In using a drier as thus far described in dry-'- ing a garment, for example a coat, it is applied to the hanger 29 and the hook oi the hanger adjusted in the chain 28 so that the skirt portion thereof overlaps the upper portion of the nozzle 20, which is in registry with the opening in the housing, after which the clamps 24 are 7 adjusted to, securely anchor the skirt portion of the garment over, the nozzle. The carrier irame isthen lifted to clear the other nozzle from engagement with the air directing flange 9, andthe carrier rotated on thesupporting post to bring the garment directly over the opening in the housing so that the blast oi. air discharged through the radiator by the tan balloons the garment and eflects drying and shaping thereoi.

While the garment is being dried. another garment is simultaneously applied to the support associated with the other nozzle so that it is ready to be moved over the drier when the first .garmenthas dried. I

I have found that unless the garments are suificiently wetted, 'or if they have partially dried prior to their application on the drier, it is difficult to remove the wrinkles and restore shape I therefore provide the drier of the garments. with a steaming mechanism whereby relatively ry or moisture laden steam is admitted directly into the garment in proportion required to more readily remove the wrinkles. The steam supply pipe 11 is, therefore, provided with a T-' fitting into the lateral .branch 3| of which is connected a street L 32 carrying a nipple 33 to whichis connected a lateral branch 34 of a,

T 35. The T 'is therefore arranged in lateral spaced relation with the steam pipe and the axis thereof extends at right angles thereto. Connected in the upper end of the Tis a street L 36 that is connected with a shut-off valve 31 by a nipple 38. The outlet of the shut-ofl' valve carries an elbow fitting 39 which in turn connects with the pipe 40 that'extends through an opening in the flange 9 and terminates in registry with the centerof the opening 8 as shown in Fig. 2. Connectedwith the terminal end of the pipe is a ball-shaped nozzle 4| having a plurality of openings 42 therein for discharging steam in relatively fine jets into the path of the heated air which carries the steam into contact with the garment whenever the stop valve 31 is opened.

The stop valve includes an actuating stem 43 that is engaged by an actuating lever 44 pivotal-- ly connected with an arm 45 extending laterally of the valve housing. .The arm 45 is preferably provided with a projection 46 having a shoulder portion 41 adapted to be engaged by the projecting end 48 of the lever when the valve is in closed position. The opposite end of the lever carries a knob-like handle 49 by which the le- -ver is readily manipulated to effect opening of the valve.

In order to ternper the steam with moisture; 'the lower end of the T fitting 35 carries a nipple 50 with a control valve 5| having its inlet connected by a nipple 52 with a T fitting 53 in the condensate .-return line IS, the valve .5l .being provided with a hand wheel whereby the valve may be opened and closed to regulate the amount of steam and condensate passed from the pipe 'ture' to eifect desired moistening of the garment,

in facilitating removal of the wrinkles, and restore shape of the garment. Upon removal of the wrinkles, the wet steam is shut off and the garment is dried in the imparted shape by the heated air discharged from the fan.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5, a ,water supply pipe 54 is connected to the lower end of the T 35 through a hand operated valve 55 so that when the valve 55 is opened water is drawn into the dry steam by the injector action of the steam upon opening of the valve 31. To promote the'injecting action and prevent back pressure in the water system, the discharge-end of the pipe 50 is provided with a nozzle 56 extending in the axis of the T fitting 35.

The steam, passing around the nozzle 56, thus draws the water through the nozzle and Patent is:

supply means.

discharges it through the spray head 51, the amount of the water being regulated to the required amount by manipulation of the valve.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a drier with a simple and efiicient apparatus whereby dry or wet steam may be delivered into the garment at selected intervals and in the amount required to facilitate removal of the wrinkles.

What I claim and desire to. secure by Letters 1. In a garment drier, a housing having a discharge opening, means supporting a garment over said opening, a fan in the housing for discharging air through said opening to balloon the garment, a radiator supported in the path of the air moved through the housing for heating the air, 'means' supplying steam to the radiator, means for discharging spent steam and condensate from the radiator, a nozzle supported in the path of the air, means connected with the steam supply for supplying steam to the nozzle, and means for mixing spent steam'discharged'from the radiator with the steam supplied to the nozzle.

2. In combination with a drier having a radiator, a pipe connected with the radiator for supplying dry steam, a return line connected with the radiator for removing the spent steamand condensate accumulating in the radiator, means for selectively moistening a garment while supported on the drier including a nozzle for directingsteam into contact with the garment, means connecting the steam pipe with the nozzle, a shut-off valve in saidconnecting means, means connecting the return line with the connecting means to effect mixture of spent steam with the dry steam admitted to said nozzle, and means controlling atleast one of said steam supplies to the nozzle relatively to the other.

3. The combination with a drier having means supporting a garment, a radiator, a fan for blowing air through. the radiator to balloon and! dry the garment, a pipe connected with the radiator for supplying dry steam, and a return line connected with the radiator for removing the spent steam and condensate accumulating in the radiator, of means for selectively moistening garments while supported on the drier including a nozzle for directing steam into the ballooned garment, means connecting the steam pipe with the nozzle, a shut-off valve in said connecting means,

means connecting the return line with the connecting means to deliverspent steam to said nozzle, and means controlling at least one of said steam supplies to the nozzle relatively to the other. 1 v 4. In an apparatus of the character described, a radiator,a fan, means supporting the fan for moving air to be heated through the radiator, a garment sup'port located in the path of the heated air to balloon a garment carried thereby,

. means supplying. steam tov the radiator, means for discharging spent steamand condensate from the radiator, means selectively moistening the garment including a nozzle for directing steam in contact with the garment, means'connecting the steam supply means with the nozzle, and

means connecting said spent steam and condensate discharge means with said connecting means for mixing spent steam and condensate with the steam supplied to the nozzle from said steam VVILLIAlVI c. GLOVER, JR.- 

